It is not uncommon for a painted surface to require touch-ups due to stains, scratches, repairs, etc. Such touchups are not always small or minor. For example, hotels are subject to quality inspections and frequently must touch up and repair scratches and stains on the paint of numerous hotel rooms. In general, touching up a painted surface requires procuring the correct color of paint, opening the paint can, pouring it into an appropriate container, carrying the container to the appropriate area and applying the paint with a brush. Afterwards, the brush must be cleaned and the excess paint returned to the can or disposed of. The process can be time consuming and messy.
Alternatively, there are products which reduce the number of steps required to touch up painted surfaces. One such product, sold under the name Qwikie, comprises a container in which paint is stored. A small brush is attached to the lid of the container. The brush of this tool is small, limiting touch ups to a small area. Furthermore, the lid of the container is generally dome-shaped and does not serve as a good hand-held painting tool.
Other products utilize a paint roller connected to a handheld paint storage apparatus. Such devices have several disadvantages including the inability to control the amount of paint on the roller, no way to prevent dripping, dried out rollers, the need to clean and/or replace the rollers, small rollers which only allow for small touchups, small amount of paint stored in the apparatus, and a container shape which does not stand on its own and must thus be laid on its side leading to potential paint leaks. Some examples of such products are the Paint Buddy sold by Rubbermaid; the Shur-Line Touchup painter; and the Paint Touchup Tool Roller & Bottle by Woolie.
The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention, and an improved paint storage and touch up apparatus is hereinafter disclosed.